Yijie Zhao1, Hua-Hie Yong2, Ron Borland3, K Michael Cummings4, James F Thrasher5, Sara C Hitchman6, Maansi Bansal-Travers7, Geoffrey T Fong8. 1. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia. Electronic address: zhaoyiji@deakin.edu.au. 2. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia. Electronic address: hua.yong@deakin.edu.au. 3. Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: rborland@unimelb.edu.au. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. Electronic address: cummingk@musc.edu. 5. Department of Health Promotion, Education & Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. Electronic address: thrasher@mailbox.sc.edu. 6. Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: sara.hitchman@uzh.ch. 7. Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA. Electronic address: maansi.travers@roswellpark.org. 8. School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada. Electronic address: geoffrey.fong@uwaterloo.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Past research indicates that smokers with a large number of smoking friends within their social network are less interested in quitting, less likely to attempt to quit, and less likely to successfully quit. The extent to which a pro-smoking social network may increase relapse risk among ex-smokers is unclear. This study investigated among ex-smokers whether the number of close friends who smoke and changes in this number influence relapse risk. METHODS: The study was a prospective cohort study of 551 adults who participated in the Australian and UK arms of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) project and were ex-smokers at wave 9 (2013) and followed up to wave 10 (2014). Logistic models regressed smoking relapse at follow-up on the baseline number of their five closest friends who smoked and changes in this number over time. RESULTS: Ex-smokers who reported having 4 or 5 smokers among their five closest friends were more likely to relapse than those who had no smokers among their five closest friends (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48-15.99, p = .009). Ex-smokers who gained smoking friends over time, but not those who lost smoking friends, were also more likely to relapse compared to those with the same number of smoking friends over time (AOR = 4.52, 95% CI = 2.15-9.52, p < .001; AOR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.49-2.36, p = .848, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that relapse risk was elevated among ex-smokers who had more smokers among their close friends and also among those where the number of smokers in their social network increased over time.
BACKGROUND: Past research indicates that smokers with a large number of smoking friends within their social network are less interested in quitting, less likely to attempt to quit, and less likely to successfully quit. The extent to which a pro-smoking social network may increase relapse risk among ex-smokers is unclear. This study investigated among ex-smokers whether the number of close friends who smoke and changes in this number influence relapse risk. METHODS: The study was a prospective cohort study of 551 adults who participated in the Australian and UK arms of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) project and were ex-smokers at wave 9 (2013) and followed up to wave 10 (2014). Logistic models regressed smoking relapse at follow-up on the baseline number of their five closest friends who smoked and changes in this number over time. RESULTS: Ex-smokers who reported having 4 or 5 smokers among their five closest friends were more likely to relapse than those who had no smokers among their five closest friends (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48-15.99, p = .009). Ex-smokers who gained smoking friends over time, but not those who lost smoking friends, were also more likely to relapse compared to those with the same number of smoking friends over time (AOR = 4.52, 95% CI = 2.15-9.52, p < .001; AOR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.49-2.36, p = .848, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that relapse risk was elevated among ex-smokers who had more smokers among their close friends and also among those where the number of smokers in their social network increased over time.
Authors: G T Fong; K M Cummings; R Borland; G Hastings; A Hyland; G A Giovino; D Hammond; M E Thompson Journal: Tob Control Date: 2006-06 Impact factor: 7.552
Authors: Natalie Slopen; Emily Z Kontos; Carol D Ryff; John Z Ayanian; Michelle A Albert; David R Williams Journal: Cancer Causes Control Date: 2013-07-17 Impact factor: 2.506
Authors: Xianglong Xu; Doris Yin Ping Leung; Bing Li; Pengfei Wang; Yong Zhao Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2015-01-19 Impact factor: 3.390